Illusions
by Rivendell101
Summary: NaLu Week Day 4: Promise. An Illusion Mage shows Natsu something he really doesn't want to see.


**AN: Day 4 NaLu prompt. Promise. **

**Illusions**

**{And I need you to see past the worst part of me.}**

Lucy's front door opens with a click, and Natsu slips inside quietly, being careful not to wake her up. It's really late right now—or early, depending on how you think about it. It doesn't really matter, he just doesn't want to wake her up. She had finally given him a key to her apartment nearly a month ago, telling him that he could come in whenever he wants. He had been elated when she said that, and he's not about to screw things up by waking her in the middle of the night.

He shuts the door behind him gently, leaning backwards against it, sighing. He just got back from a solo mission—a _solo_ solo mission. No Lucy, no Happy, nobody. He and Gray had gotten into a fight, and at some point Gray had stated that Natsu couldn't pull off a job without one of his partners, and Natsu, being the hothead he is, took the bait. He left Happy with Lucy, and went on a three day mission in Clover Town to catch a dark mage to prove Gray wrong.

It had been strange, traveling alone. He always has someone else with him. Always. Before he met Lucy, Happy had gone with him everywhere, and he still does. And now Lucy is almost always with him. That's how he likes it. He likes having Happy and Lucy with him. He likes knowing that they're right there, _safe_, _next to him_.

He runs his hand over his face roughly. The mission had been horrible. It hadn't been _hard_ exactly, not in a normal sense. The mage he was supposed to defeat hadn't been very strong, but he was an illusion mage, and Natsu didn't like what he had seen. The mage had messed with his head—it was horrible, Natsu doesn't even want to think about it, but he does.

_Natsu is getting angry. He has been fighting this strange dark mage—who's wearing this horrible smelling black coat thing that Natsu doesn't even want to know about—for nearly an hour no, but the guy just keeps running away from him. He isn't fighting back, or doing anything. Just running. It's really beginning to piss him off. "Why don't you stop running, and fight me like a man, Bastard," Natsu shouts at the retreating figure. He winces slightly, he's beginning to sound like Elfman, and he doesn't want that to happen._

_ The other mage stops as he enters a large field, turning to face Natsu just as he enters the clearing. Natsu glares, fire dancing across his fingertips. The dark mage doesn't say anything, doesn't move, nothing. If he couldn't hear the sound of the man's heart beating, Natsu wouldn't even think that he's alive. "Finally tired of running?" he asks, preparing to lunge for the man. He doesn't even have time to blink as the man springs into action._

_ "Illusion Make: Nightmare," the dark mage cries out, two fingers pointing to his own forehead, the other hand stretched out and pointing at Natsu. At first nothing happens, but then Natsu's vision goes white as an explosion of pain goes off in his head, making him cry out and clutch his skull._

_ He's never felt pain like this before, it hurts so much. It's like a headache, but a thousand times worse, it's almost like millions of tiny needles are stabbing him all at once, and he can't do anything. The pain stops, finally, and Natsu hands fall to the ground. He doesn't know when he ended up on his knees, but he doesn't even care at this point. He raises his head to snarl at the mage, but he stops short, a choked cry leaving him instead._

_ The mage is still standing where he was before, nothing about him has changed, but that's not what has Natsu in shock. Lying on the ground between them is_—_Lucy? There's blood everywhere, and her vacant eyes are just staring at him. She's dead, he knows she is. Her chest isn't rising and falling as she breathes, she isn't blinking, and he can't hear her heartbeat. There are only two beating hearts in the clearing, the other mage's—which is as calm as it was before, slow, and Natsu's—which is beating erratically, out of control._

_ "Lucy?" he whispers, her name falling off of his tongue shakily. What is she—what? How did she get here? What happened to her? Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows that this isn't real. She isn't really here, she's alive. He knows that she's alive, He can feel it. He doesn't know how, but he knows that she's okay._

_ This isn't real._

_ He knows that this isn't real, but he can't rip his eyes away from the body in front of him. She's fake, it's not real, an illusion_—_no,_ nightmare. _This is a nightmare, he's seen it before, and he knows that it's not real, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. He's seen Lucy die once, and now he's seeing it again. It isn't _his_ Lucy, but it is _Lucy_._

_ And it hurts._

_ He whimpers pitifully. If it was anyone other than Lucy lying in front of him, he would be able to look away, but he can't, and it is Lucy. Bile rises in his throat as her scent mixed with blood floods through him, she shouldn't smell like that. She's covered in what looks like claw marks—long and deep, blood still oozing out of them._

_ It isn't real though. He promised to protect her future—protect her above all else. He doesn't break his promises. Never. She's okay and at home waiting for him, so he needs to take care of this. He looks at the body lying several feet in front of him and apologizes quietly. It isn't fair that she had to be dragged into this, she's done nothing wrong. He slowly moves his eyes away from his favorite blonde, eyes locking with the illusion mage standing in front of him. He growls, low and dangerous._

_ And then he snaps, the clearing going up in flames._

It's probably the worst mission he's ever gone on, but at least it's over now. He stretches his hands over his head, his back making a very satisfying popping sound. His eyes dart around the room quickly, making sure that everything is where it's supposed to be. Everything is in place, so he nods once and walks the few feet over to Lucy's bed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The quirk of his lips turns into a full blown grin when he reaches the bed. Lucy is practically pressed against the wall, her body curled up. One of her arms is resting up by her face, and Happy, who is sleeping above her on the pillow, has his tail wrapped around it loosely, almost protectively.

His side of the bed is untouched.

Natsu likes the outer side of the bed, partly because he doesn't want to be confined by the wall, and partly because it means Lucy is confined by the wall. She can't leave the bed without him knowing about it, and he likes it that way. It gives him peace of mind.

He quickly strips himself of his shirt and waistcoat, kicking off his shoes. Placing one knee on the bed, he leans over Lucy, pressing an affectionate kiss against her hair. She grumbles something in her sleep and rolls onto her back, eyes flickering open. "Natsu?" she whispers.

"Yeah, Lucy, it's me," he replies, slipping into under the sheets with her. She turns onto her side, cuddling up against his chest, one are thrown around his neck, legs tangling with his.

"How was the mission?" she asks him, burrowing against his front, as if she's trying to disappear into him. He chuckles at the thought, arms wrapping around her tightly.

It takes him a second to register her question, but he blanches when he does. Lucy's dead body flashes before his eyes, and he squeezes them shut tightly, burying his face against Lucy's hair. "I'll tell you later," he murmurs against her hair, breathing in her scent. Cherry and almond.

"Okay." The arm around his back tightens in a comforting way, and he knows that she realizes something is wrong, but she won't say anything until he's ready to talk about it. He loves that about her. She knows him like the back of her hand. He smiles against her and her free hand starts to trace circles against his chest. "Did you win?"

He snorts. "Of course I won," is all he says, curling around her protectively. She whispers something that sounds like "good", and then falls silent, probably starting to fall back asleep. He tries to do the same, but there's still something bothering him. He tucks Lucy under his chin and runs a hand through her hair. "Lucy?" She makes a soft sound, telling him that she's still awake. "Promise you'll be here when I wake up?" Because he has to know that she'll still be here.

Her lips brush against his chest in a feather soft kiss. "Promise."

**AN: Sorry this one's so late, I was busy today.**


End file.
